A trashy taqueria, a civilized trattoria and a cozy neighbourhood bistro
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Grand Electric
1330 Queen St. W., 416-627-3459
Colin Tooke and Ian McGrenaghan—both alumni of The Black Hoof—don’t give a rat’s ass if you like their new Parkdale taqueria and bourbon bar. The only decoration in the rundown room is a wall of premium brown booze and a sagging string of Christmas lights. There’s hard-core ’90s rap blaring from a record player, which may bring to mind all the aspiring gangsters you knew in high school who thought pumping Easy-E from their Honda Civics inspired fear and respect. And there’s a no-reservations policy, so securing a table takes about an hour on weeknights. But once you do, the beautifully bedraggled staff treat you like good friends. The tacos are three for $10, and you can mix and match pork belly–pineapple, Baja fish, arbol chicken and beef cheek. Dressed simply with cilantro, onion and lime, they roll up into superb, spicy, chin-dribbling bundles. Other Mexican dishes, like the tuna ceviche and pozole, are a bit too salty but good all the same when paired with a frothy bourbon sour. Wee Mason jars of key lime vaso (graham cracker crumbs, lime curd and a pile of whipped cream) encapsulate the mood of the place—sweet-tart, a little trashy and totally enjoyable.
Shortly after Jeremy Day 